The production of antibodies in the body begins approximately after a two-week interval from the moment of vaccination. For another 6 months after the flu shot, the body retains the ability to recognize the virus and destroy it, preventing it from multiplying in cells. Thanks to this, you are protected from infection throughout the autumn-winter period.
But what about 70-90% efficiency? Yes, doctors admit that the flu vaccine does not always protect against the occurrence of this particular or another viral infection (adenovirus, enterovirus, rhinovirus, etc.), but even if you get sick, the vaccine will prevent complications and ease the course of the disease.
How dangerous is the flu?
There is probably no person who does not suffer from ARVI. According to WHO, every person gets a cold from 2 to 4 times a year, school-age children - 4-5 times, preschoolers - 6 times a year, and babies in their first year of life - from 2 to 12 times. Among ARVI, the influenza virus is truly dangerous, which is why its prevention and treatment is given such great importance. Flu can lead to viral pneumonia and severe intoxication. It also leads to decreased immunity and exacerbation of chronic bacterial infections, bronchial asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and kidney diseases. All this, in turn, can lead to death. Therefore, patients with symptoms of severe intoxication, meningitis, acute respiratory and heart failure, high fever for more than 5 days, and pregnant women must be hospitalized in the infectious diseases department.
Flu vaccination: pros and cons
Pros of the flu vaccine:
- Flu prevention
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), getting a flu vaccine is the most effective way to avoid getting the flu. Read the article about how to support your body and strengthen your immune system using “prevention of colds and flu in winter.”
- Feeling less sick
After vaccination, it is still possible to become infected with the flu. However, if you get the flu, your symptoms will be milder if you have been vaccinated.
- Reducing the risk of hospitalization or complications for certain people
Influenza vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of influenza-related complications or hospitalization in some groups. These include:
- elderly;
- pregnant women;
- children;
- people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular diseases.
- Protection within society
When you protect yourself from the flu by getting vaccinated, you are also protecting those who cannot get vaccinated for certain reasons. This includes those who are too young to be vaccinated and those who are not eligible for the vaccine. This is called herd immunity.
Disadvantages of flu vaccination:
- There is still a risk of getting the flu
Sometimes you can get a flu shot and still get sick. It takes about 2 weeks for your body to develop immunity after vaccination. During this time, you can still become infected with the flu.
- Severe allergic reaction
The flu shot has its consequences. Some people may react negatively to it. If you have a negative reaction to a vaccine, symptoms usually appear within minutes to hours after vaccination. The flu vaccine may cause the following side effects:
- labored breathing;
- wheezing;
- cardiopalmus;
- rash or hives;
- swelling around the eyes and mouth;
- feeling weak or dizzy.
If you experience these symptoms after vaccination, contact your doctor. If the reaction is severe, seek emergency medical attention.
- Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare disease in which the immune system begins to attack its own peripheral nerves. In very rare cases, vaccination against the influenza virus can cause this disease.
If you have already had Guillain-Barre syndrome, talk to your doctor before getting the vaccine.
How does the flu vaccine work?
There are several types of vaccines:
- vaccines containing live attenuated strains of viruses;
- vaccines containing dead viruses or fragments of viruses and antibodies to them.
Modern vaccines are tri- and quadrivalent, i.e. containing three or four types of viruses predicted by the World Health Organization for this particular year for a particular region. After vaccination, the body’s immune system begins to react, producing special antibodies that recognize and kill the virus when it enters the body. This process usually takes about a month, so vaccination takes place 1 - 1.5 months before the expected epidemic.
Today: modern vaccines
The production of flu vaccines is generally a constant evolution. The first vaccines were live
.
Weakened viruses were used during production. Used as a nasal spray. Had a lot of side effects. Representative: Ultravac (Russia).
Then they began to use inactivated
vaccines.
The first of them contained, although purified, whole viruses ( whole virion vaccines
).
Their reactogenicity (ability to cause side effects) was very high. Representative: Grippovac (Russia).
Later, they began to produce vaccines with the destroyed virus ( split or split vaccines
).
They have fewer adverse reactions and fairly high immunogenicity. Such vaccines include all virion proteins of the virus (both surface and internal antigens), but due to high purification they do not contain viral lipids and chicken embryo proteins. Representatives: Ultrix (Russia), FLU-M (Russia), Vaxigrip (France), Fluarix (Germany), Fluvaxin (China).
The next class of vaccines is subunit
.
They contain only purified influenza virus surface antigens. Not only the virion and chicken embryo proteins were removed, but also internal antigens. Due to this, a significant reduction in reactogenicity was achieved. To increase the duration and intensity of immunity, manufacturers of subunit vaccines often add an adjuvant to the composition - a substance that enhances the immune response. Representatives: Influvac (Netherlands), Grippol plus (Russia), Sovigripp (Russia).
The last generation includes virosomal
vaccines in which surface antigens are presented in the form of virosomes (pseudoviral structures) that mimic the influenza virus, due to which the vaccine better “educates” the immune system of the person being vaccinated.
Representative: Inflexal V (Switzerland).
In addition to updating the technology for inactivation, assembly, and purification of influenza vaccines, other scientific work is underway to find ways to improve the quality, tolerability and effectiveness of influenza vaccines.
One of the ways to increase efficiency was the WHO recommendation to reorient production from 3-valent to 4-valent ones
vaccines.
Quadrivalent
vaccines contain proteins from four dangerous strains.
Examples: Ultrix Quadri (Russia), Grippol quadrivalent (Russia).
The Russian new generation vaccine “Ultrix Quadri” contains two strains A and B. Among the type A viruses there is H1N1 (similar to the culprit of “Spanish Flu 1918” and “Swine Flu 2009”). It is noteworthy that it was with this drug that Russian President Vladimir Putin, Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova and other members of the Government were vaccinated in 2021.
Who is recommended for the flu vaccine?
- children over 6 months old, especially those attending nurseries, kindergartens, schools;
- medical workers;
- employees of children's educational institutions (teachers, educators, heads of clubs, sections);
- elderly people over 60 years of age;
- chronic patients with diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems;
- patients with reduced immunity.
Vaccination is mandatory for all these population groups. The vaccine will prevent you from getting sick or get through the disease more easily, and will prevent complications from developing.
What you need to know about flu shots
In terms of its social significance, influenza ranks first among human infectious diseases. The incidence of influenza and acute respiratory viral diseases (ARVD) exceeds the total figure for all other infections. During an influenza epidemic, influenza and acute respiratory viral infections account for 10-15% of cases of temporary disability, and in the rest of the year - more than 80% of all infectious pathologies.
During epidemics, the disease can affect 10-20% of the total population and up to 40-60% of older people. Every year in the world, the number of cases of severe influenza disease is in the millions, and the number of deaths reaches 200-500 thousand.
Severe clinical complications developing with influenza, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, secondary bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract (otitis, sinusitis), complications from the nervous and cardiovascular systems or exacerbation of chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, heart failure, chronic obstructive bronchopneumonia and etc.) are very common among elderly and weakened people and pose a serious danger to them. The number of cases of pneumonia during influenza epidemics increases to 70%, and bronchitis to 25%. Currently, influenza is in second place (after pneumococcal infection) among the causes of death from infectious diseases.
For whom is the flu most dangerous?
Flu is dangerous for everyone. However, influenza and its complications pose the greatest threat to young children, the elderly, and people suffering from chronic diseases. These are, first of all, children with lesions of the central nervous system, patients with heart pathology (congenital heart defects, history of heart attack, coronary artery disease, etc.), with diseases of the lungs, kidneys, endocrine system, immunodeficiencies, etc.
Unfortunately, these conditions are sometimes mistakenly considered to be contraindications for influenza vaccination. Although such persons require priority protection.
Flu is also dangerous for women planning pregnancy. It is advisable to get vaccinated before pregnancy or during the second or third trimester. Influenza in a pregnant woman can lead to the development of defects in the fetus or a miscarriage.
Influenza is also relevant for people who, due to the characteristics of their type of activity (children attending educational institutions, teachers, educators, sellers, doctors, other people working in teams, people working in large enterprises with a large number of employees) come into contact with a large number of people and are at high risk of contracting influenza.
Is there protection against influenza?
Vaccination is the only specific prevention of influenza. It is after vaccination that specific immunity to influenza viruses type A and B is formed.
How do we know which influenza viruses will come to us in the upcoming epidemic season?
The influenza virus circulates according to certain biological laws. Almost always, the virus that caused a rise in incidence in Southeast Asia in the spring comes to Europe in the fall.
There are several hundred laboratories around the world that monitor influenza viruses. Analyzing information about the viruses that cause influenza, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) annually, by April-May, make recommendations on the variants of influenza viruses that need to be included in the vaccine. Every year, vaccines include 3 current variants of the influenza virus.
Does the vaccine protect against colds?
We call colds (or acute respiratory infections) diseases caused by many different pathogens: rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, adenoviruses and many others. During the cold season, they become more active and, if the immune system is weakened, they easily penetrate the body and begin their “subversive” work. Compared to the flu, these pathogens are not as dangerous and cause complications much less often. They are not included in influenza vaccines, and there is no specific protection against them. Therefore, nonspecific prevention means come to the fore.
Can flu vaccines differ in the virus variants they include?
No, vaccines from different manufacturers do not differ in the types of influenza viruses they contain. Every year, vaccines include those variants of influenza viruses that are recommended by WHO experts.
What flu vaccines are used?
In 2021 In the region, inactivated influenza vaccines were used for immunization against influenza within the framework of the National Preventive Vaccination Calendar:
— “Sovigripp” (children’s vaccine without preservative) for immunization of children from 6 months. up to 18 years of age (including children from 6 months to 3 years, twice with an interval of 4 weeks), pregnant women;
— “Sovigripp” (with preservative) – for immunization of adults over 18 years of age.
The Sovigripp vaccine contains the adjuvant Sovidon, which acts as an immunomodulator, has antioxidant properties, and is characterized by low reactogenicity.
Non-governmental medical organizations providing vaccination services used domestically produced vaccines Ultrix, Grippol Plus, imported vaccines Influvac (Netherlands), Vaxigrip (France), Fluarix (Belgium).
Does everyone need a vaccine?
Many years of vaccination experience have fully proven its overall effectiveness. Timely vaccination can reduce the incidence of the disease by 60-90%. Vaccination is important for all groups of the population, but especially for “risk groups” for severe disease and possible complications. These include small children, elderly people, pregnant women, patients with concomitant diseases (diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, etc.). Vaccination is also recommended for “risk groups” associated with the profession: medical workers, the transport sector, people working in trade and public services.
Who is required to be immunized against influenza?
According to the National Calendar of Preventive Vaccinations, immunization against influenza is subject to:
- children from 6 months (including children from 6 months to 35 months are vaccinated twice with an interval of 4 weeks);
-students of grades 1–11;
-students of higher and secondary vocational educational institutions;
- adults working in certain professions and positions (workers of medical and educational institutions, transport, public utilities);
-pregnant women (2-3 trimester of pregnancy);
- adults over 60 years old;
- persons subject to conscription for military service;
- persons with chronic diseases, including lung diseases, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders and obesity;
- persons working in poultry farming organizations, zoo employees, persons breeding poultry for sale to the public.
How effective is the flu vaccination?
Vaccination helps reduce hospitalizations and deaths from influenza-related complications:
-among healthy adults, the number of hospitalizations for pneumonia decreases by 40% (among older people from 45 to 85%);
- the incidence of acute otitis media, which is a common complication of influenza in children, is reduced by 36-69%;
-the frequency of exacerbations of chronic bronchitis that occur after the flu is reduced by 20%;
-effectiveness in preventing bronchial asthma has been established (the frequency of exacerbations is reduced by 60-70%);
- among patients with type I diabetes mellitus, vascular complications of diabetes progress less and episodes of decompensation requiring an increase in insulin dosage are less frequently recorded;
-in organized groups of elderly people (for example, in nursing homes), the effectiveness of mortality prevention reaches 80%.
Contraindications to influenza vaccination
Contraindications to the administration of influenza vaccines are: allergic reactions to chicken protein; allergic reactions to previously administered influenza vaccines; acute febrile conditions or exacerbation of a chronic disease (vaccination is carried out after recovery or during a period of remission). For mild ARVI and acute intestinal diseases, vaccination is carried out after the temperature has normalized.
What is necessary before getting a flu shot?
A medical examination is carried out by a doctor (paramedic). Before immunization, the doctor (paramedic) must collect an anamnesis from the patient in order to identify diseases, including chronic ones, the presence of reactions or complications to the previous administration of the drug, allergic reactions to medications, products, and identify the individual characteristics of the body (prematurity, birth trauma, convulsions) . Clarify whether there are contacts with infectious patients, as well as the timing of previous vaccinations; for women, pregnancy.
Persons with chronic diseases, allergic conditions, etc., if necessary, are subject to medical examination using laboratory and instrumental research methods.
Immediately before the preventive vaccination, thermometry should be carried out.
Is it possible to get the flu after vaccination and infect others?
You cannot get the flu if you are vaccinated with any vaccine. Since during the production process, vaccine viruses lose their ability to cause disease, but retain the ability to form protection. When vaccinated with a live vaccine, the risk of infecting others with the vaccine virus is extremely low. When vaccinated with inactivated influenza vaccines, there is no risk of infecting others with the vaccine virus.
Do I need to prepare in any way for the flu vaccine?
Most people do not need special preparation for the flu vaccine. For some patients (for example, with allergic diseases), the doctor may prescribe medication. In patients with chronic diseases, vaccination is carried out while taking conventional therapy.
When will protection against the disease develop after a flu vaccine?
14-21 days after vaccination, immunity develops, which provides protection against influenza for 6-12 months.
Does the flu shot guarantee 100% protection against the disease?
Not a single therapeutic or prophylactic drug provides a 100% guarantee against the disease. How reliable protection will be developed after vaccination depends on many factors, including. the patient’s age and health status, individual characteristics, etc. But on average, out of 100 vaccinated people, 70-98 people will not get the flu. If a vaccinated person does get the flu, his illness will be mild and without complications.
Thus, vaccination guarantees protection against severe and complicated forms of influenza that end in death. The flu vaccine is designed primarily to protect against influenza viruses, and not against other respiratory viruses.
At the same time, the influenza vaccine has additional, to some extent immunomodulatory properties. Thanks to this, the immune system of approximately 20-25 people out of 100 vaccinated acquires additional protection from other respiratory viral infections.
Can the flu vaccine cause reactions?
Administration of any vaccines, incl. vaccines to prevent influenza may cause reactions.
The appearance of temperature or redness at the site of vaccine administration is a natural reaction to any vaccine, indicating the beginning of the formation of protection.
After vaccination against influenza, vaccinated people may experience:
General reactions are reactions that generally affect the body and manifest themselves in the form of increased body temperature, malaise, headache, etc.
Local reactions are reactions that occur at the site of vaccine administration in the form of thickening and soreness.
These manifestations are short-term, do not require treatment and disappear on their own within 2-3 days, without affecting the ability to work or requiring additional treatment.
Can I get a flu vaccine if I have a chronic disease?
It is possible and necessary. Chronic diseases (including heart disease) are not a contraindication, but an indication for flu vaccination. Patients with chronic diseases tolerate vaccination well and develop sufficient protection against the disease. The vaccination carried out does not lead to an exacerbation of a chronic disease, while the flu with a high degree of probability can lead to an exacerbation of a chronic disease and aggravation of its further course. However, during a period of exacerbation of a chronic disease, the doctor will suggest postponing the vaccination until the condition stabilizes.
Can I get a flu shot during pregnancy?
It is not only possible, but also necessary: during pregnancy, a woman is one of the most vulnerable groups of the population, along with young children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases.
Pregnancy is a physiological condition in which the body's defenses are naturally reduced, the mother's immunity is suppressed to reduce the likelihood of fetal rejection, which is accompanied by a reduced ability to resist various infectious agents, and the influenza virus is no exception.
Pregnant women are much more likely to experience complications of influenza: viral, bacterial pneumonia and pneumonia of mixed etiology, sinusitis, bronchitis, otitis media, pyelonephritis, etc. In severe cases of the disease, which occurs much more often in pregnant women, complications of the cardiovascular system may develop ( myocarditis, heart failure). Against the background of influenza, diseases of the endocrine system (diabetes mellitus), urinary system (nephritis, cystitis) often worsen or debut, and episodes of bronchial asthma are observed.
In addition to a more severe course of the disease and complications, influenza in pregnant women can lead to the threat of premature birth, spontaneous termination of pregnancy, or pathological development of the fetus.
Timely vaccination against influenza helps protect not only the mother, but also the newborn baby, who will “get” the mother’s antibodies; Vaccination against influenza, even in case of infection and illness, can significantly reduce the severity of symptoms and minimize the likelihood of complications.
Pregnant women are vaccinated against influenza in the second or third trimester of pregnancy with a vaccine intended for immunization of children from 6 months, that is, without a preservative.
Why are adults over 60 years of age and people with chronic diseases included in the risk group for developing influenza?
Adults over 60 years of age and people with chronic diseases are considered to be at high risk for influenza and adverse complications from the disease and are subject to mandatory influenza immunization. Influenza in older people is twice as likely to be complicated by pneumonia than in middle-aged people. Not only chronic pulmonary diseases (bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, COPD) are worsening, but also diseases of the cardiovascular system, and diabetes mellitus is worsening. Sometimes the kidneys are involved, which can lead to the development of kidney failure. Timely vaccination against influenza reduces the risk of contracting influenza by 80%. Vaccinations in older adults can reduce influenza-related deaths by up to 90% and hospitalization by up to 70%. These are very large numbers. Behind them are many human lives.
Is it necessary to get vaccinated this year if you were vaccinated in the past?
Protective antibodies produced after vaccination are usually destroyed within 6-12 months after vaccination or their quantity becomes insufficient to protect against influenza in the new season. In addition, the variants of influenza viruses that are included in vaccines are updated annually. So it’s worth getting vaccinated annually.
Is it possible to vaccinate a child if he gets colds more than 4 times a year?
Not only is it possible, but it is also necessary. It is this child who is most susceptible to complications developing after suffering from the flu. It is necessary to vaccinate such a child during the period when he does not have an acute illness.
Is it possible to get vaccinated against the flu and another infection, such as measles, at the same time?
The flu vaccine can be combined with any other vaccine except the tuberculosis vaccine. The only condition is that both vaccines will be injected into different areas of the body.
When is the best time to get a flu shot?
It is best to get vaccinated against influenza in the fall: in September-November, before the seasonal increase in the incidence of influenza and ARI. Within 2-3 weeks after vaccination, a protective level of antibodies against influenza viruses will be formed.
Where can I get a flu shot?
You can get vaccinated at an outpatient clinic at your place of residence. The work of vaccination teams has been organized in educational institutions and large enterprises.
Why do we recommend that at least 75% of students and workers be vaccinated?
This achieves two main goals. The first goal is the individual protection of the vaccinated person. The second goal is the formation of collective immunity. Herd immunity provides an additional degree of protection to those who are vaccinated and reduces the likelihood of illness among unvaccinated members of the group. The more people are vaccinated, and therefore protected from the flu, the lower the likelihood of the virus being introduced and spread among workers in the team. Of course, the maximum effect of vaccination against influenza, as with other infections, can be achieved if more than 95% of workers in the team are vaccinated. However, when vaccinating against influenza, it is difficult to achieve such indicators, given that vaccination is carried out during the pre-epidemic season for 2-3 months.
How will children be vaccinated against influenza in educational institutions?
Parents sign consent (or refusal) in the prescribed form. It is kept in the child's medical records. Parents are informed about the start of influenza vaccination. On a certain day, vaccinations are carried out at the educational institution.
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What complications can occur after vaccinations?
- allergic reaction, if you are allergic to chicken protein, you should inform your doctor;
- the occurrence of a local reaction at the site of vaccine administration;
- after vaccination, symptoms of acute respiratory viral infection or flu may appear, but they are usually more easily tolerated than if an infection had occurred with an unattenuated virus.
From September to October 2021, you can get vaccinated under the compulsory medical insurance policy at your place of attachment or go to a private clinic. The average cost of vaccination is about 500 rubles.
There are contraindications. Specialist consultation is required.
Where and when can you get a flu vaccine?
For several years now, the doctor search service DOC.ua, on the eve of the flu epidemic, has been monitoring in which clinics it will be possible to get vaccinated against this viral disease. The flu attacks every year, and the only way to protect yourself from the disease is to get a flu shot.
DOC.ua is your faithful assistant in matters of health. We will be one of the first to know in which clinics and at what cost flu vaccines will be available. That's why we invite you to fill out the form below so you can ensure you book your flu vaccines and keep yourself and your family safe from it.
Submit your application today, and when the vaccine becomes available, we will contact you and let you know where you can get vaccinated at a time convenient for you.
